Hogs Look to Rebound Against North Texas

BY ANDRES FOCIL

RAZORBACKS HOST NORTH TEXAS: Arkansas will host North Texas, Sat., Sept. 29, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. It will be the ninth meeting between the two teams. The Razorbacks hold an 8-0 lead in the series against the Mean Green.

The Hogs have won all eight games in the series and have outscored the Mean Green 300-104 in those seven games.

NOTING THE RAZORBACKS:

• Arkansas and North Texas will meet for the ninth time in school history on Saturday night. The Hogs lead the series with the Mean Green, 8-0. The first meeting between the two schools was a 12-0 Hog win in 1947, while the last was a 31-7 Razorbacks’ win in 2003. He is attempting to become the first Razorback to lead the nation in rushing.

• Darren McFadden continued his ground assault early in the 2007 season with 173 yards and a touchdown. He leads the country with 173.0 rushing yards per game average, while ranking third nationally in all-purpose yards with 222.67 per game.

• Fellow junior tailback Felix Jones has been spectacular as well with 374-yards rushing (119.3 ypg) on just 40 carries and a touchdown. His 8.95 ypc average ranks third nationally. Jones has two kickoff returns for touchdowns this season on 90-yard and 82-yard bursts. He ranks 17th nationally in rushing (119.3 ypg), second in kickoff returns.

• True freshmen PK Alex Tejada is making a big impact early in their Razorback career. Tejada is 7 for 7 on field goal attempts and 12 of 13 on PATs. Tejada is tied for 14th nationally in scoring at 11.0 points per game. He also ranks fifth in the NCAA in field goals per game at 2.33.

• The Razorbacks rank third nationally in rushing offense with 329.37 ypg average. That mark also leads the SEC by over 83 yards over No. 2 LSU. UA has led the SEC in rushing four of the last five years. Arkansas has rushed for at least 300 yards in all three games this season and has rushed for at least 200 yards in eight of their last 10 games.

• Arkansas ranks No. 1 in rushing offense in the SEC during Houston Nutt’s tenure (1998-2007). The Hogs have averaged 193.36 yards per game in Nutt’s 10-year tenure (22,043 yards in 114 games).

•Arkansas’ hogs up front on the offensive line have not only done a fantastic job opening holes for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, but they have been one of the best teams in the country at protecting the quarterback. The Hogs’ offensive line has allowed just 11 sacks in their last 17 games for an amazing average of just 0.647 sacks allowed per game.

•Jeremy Davis has made a successful transition back to punter where he began his collegiate career in 2004. The junior from Fort Smith, Ark., ranks sixth in the SEC and 43rd nationally with a 41.94-yards per punt average through the first three games this season.

• The Hogs have scored 20 points or more in 85 of Houston Nutt’s 114 games (74.6 percent) as head coach.

• Arkansas has now scored in 138 consecutive games, a school record for scoring in the most consecutive games in team history. Arkansas has not been shut out since a 28-0 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge, La., on Nov. 18, 1995.

THE McFADDEN REPORT:

•Darren McFadden has run for 519 yards on 86 carries and tallied four rushing touchdown in his first three games of the 2007 season. He ran for 151 yards on 24 totes in the opener, followed that up with 195 yards on 33 carries against Alabama and then went for 173 yards on 29 carries vs. Kentucky.

•His 173.0 ypg rushing average leads the nation, while 222.67 all-purpose yards per game ranks third nationally.

• The 100-yard rushing game vs. the Wildcats was the 15th of McFadden’s 28-game career in the cardinal and white. He is tied with Dickey Morton for second in school history, just one shy of Ben Cowins school record of 16 set from 1975-78.

•McFadden is the first running back to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark in each of the first three games of the season since Cedric Cobbs did it in the first four games of the 2003 season. Before that Jerry Eckwood was the last Hog to do it when he rushed for 100-plus yards in the first five games of the 1975 season.

•The Little Rock native racked up another 208 all-purpose yards vs. UK. He has now had at least 200 all-purpose yards in each game this season. McFadden’s 222.67 all-purpose yards per game ranks third nationally. He also moved into second place on Arkansas’ career all-purpose yards chart with 4,239.

•McFadden moved closer to Dickey Morton for second place on Arkansas career rushing chart with 3,279 yards. He is 38 yards shy of Morton and 291 yards shy of Ben Cowins’ school record of 3,570 yards.

•His touchdown vs. Kentucky also moved him to within one TD of third place in career rushing touchdowns at Arkansas. He has 29 while Ben Cowins has 30, James Rouse has 38 and Bill Burnett has 46.

•McFadden connected for his fourth career passing touchdown on a 42-yard strike to freshman Crosby Tuck in the opener against Troy. The 42-yard pass was the longest completion of his career. He has now completed 9-of-13 career passes for 124 yards and four touchdowns. McFadden boasts a career passing efficiency rating of 235.6.

• McFadden has caught seven passes this season for 56 yards. His three grabs vs. Alabama tied his career high for receptions in a game.

•He has accounted for 561 yards of total offense and racked up 668 all-purpose yards through three games this season.

•For all of your Darren McFadden related questions visit his official web site at5DarrenMcFadden.com.

SERIES HISTORY: Arkansas and North Texas will meet for the ninth time in school history this weekend. This weekend marks North Texas’ third trip to Fayetteville while sixgames between the two teams have been played in Little Rock.

The Hogs have won all eight games in the series and have outscored the Mean Green 300-104 in those eight games.

The team’s first met in 1947 with the Razorbacks posting a 12-0 victory in Little Rock. That game was the only shutout in the series.

LAST TIME AGAINST NORTH TEXAS: The Arkansas Razorbacks remained unbeaten through the first three games of the 2003 season after a 31-7 victory over the North Texas Mean Green at War Memorial Stadium.

Tailback Cedric Cobbs rushed for 104 yards on 20 carries to lead all rushers. Cobbs has hit the 100-yard mark in the first three games of the season, marking the first time since 1975 that a Razorback has eclipsed the century mark in the initial three games of a season. In 1975, Jerry Eckwood rushed for 100-plus yards in the first five games of the season.

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION: Arkansas’ Casey and Nathan Dick and Marcus Shavers attended Allen HS with North Texas’ Nicholas Foster … Arkansas’ Bret Harris and North Texas’ Kartey Agbottah both hail from Irving, Texas, and played prep ball at MacArthur HS … Hog Desmond Williams and Mean Green’s Marcus King both hail from Euless, Texas, and attended Trinity HS … Arkansas’ Barrett Reynolds and North Texas’ J.J. Johnson are from from Plano, Texas, and attended Plano West HS.

LEADING THE PACK: When it comes to rushing the ball, no team in the Southeastern Conference has done it more effectively in recent years than the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Hogs have led the SEC in rushing yardage in four of the last five seasons, including 2005 and 2006. And they are on their way once again in 2007 after racking up 989 yards in their first three games. Arkansas became the first team to pace the SEC in rushing four times in five seasons since Alabama led the league in four-consecutive seasons from 1971-74.

In 2007, the Hogs rank third nationally in rushing and second in yards per carry as a team with 6.42 yards per tote.

UA has tallied 200 or more rushing yards in 19 of its last 32 games dating back to the eighth game of the 2004 season. In addition, the Hogs earned 190 or more yards in two other games. That also includes seven games of 300 yards or more and one 400-yard game.

The Hogs led the SEC in rushing in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 with an average of 218.9, 241.9, 216.9 and 228.5 yards per game, respectively. Arkansas is attempting to become the first team to pace the SEC in rushing five times in six seasons since Ole Miss led the league in six-consecutive seasons from 1957-62.

2007 Rushing Leaders

TeamGmsAttNetAvg.TDsYds/pg

1.Navy424414405.9012360.00

2.West Virginia419814287.2120357.00

3.Arkansas31549896.426329.67

3.Oregon419311996.2113299.75

5.Illinois419210685.5311265.50

McFADDEN & JONES FORM DYNAMIC DUO: The Arkansas tailback duo of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones are the most-productive rushing teammates in the country (among the NCAA top 100) early in the 2007 season, averaging 292.33 yards per game. McFadden leads the country at 173.0 ypg while Jones accounts for 119.3 ypg and ranks 17th. The Michigan duo of RB Michael Hart (163.75) and RB Brandon Minor (43.5) are in second, 85.08 yards behind.

Rushers (Individual Avg.)

TeamCombined YPG

1.Darren McFadden (173.0) / Felix Jones (119.3)Arkansas292.33

2.Michael Hart (163.75) / Brandon Minor (43.50)Michigan207.25

3.Eugene Jarvis (134.75) / Julian Edelman (65.25)Kent State200.00

4.Brandon Stewart (114.33) / Dennis Dixon (92.00)Oregon198.50

5.Steve Slaton (130.67) / Noel Devine (85.33)West Virginia197.00

Kahil Bell (110.50 / Chris Markey (86.50)UCLA197.00

SEC ELITE: Darren McFadden is quickly etching his name in the SEC record books among some of the best running backs the conference has ever produced. His 1,647 yards rushing ranks as the fifth-best total in a single season in the history of the Southeastern Conference. Herschel Walker’s (Georgia) 1,891 yards in 1981 leads the way. McFadden’s total is the most in the SEC since Bo Jackson (Auburn) rushed for 1,786 yards in 1985.

In 2005, McFadden became just the seventh freshman in league history to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark in his first season. He joined Walker, Emmitt Smith (Florida), Reggie Cobb (Tennessee), Chuck Webb (Tennessee), Jamal Lewis (Tennessee) and Justin Vincent (LSU). His 1,113 yards was the sixth-best freshman rushing total in SEC history.

McFadden also ranks 15th in career rushing in the Southeastern Conference with 3,279 yards on the ground in just 28 games.

SEC’s Top 10 Single-Season Rushing Totals

Rushing Yards

Career

YardsPlayer, School (games)Years

1.5,259Herschel Walker, Georgia (33 games)1980-82

2.4,557Kevin Faulk, LSU (41 games)1995-98

3.4,303Bo Jackson, Auburn (38 games)1982-85

4.4,163Errict Rhett, Florida (48 games)1990-93

5.4,050Dalton Hilliard, LSU (44 games)1982-85

6.4,035Charles Alexander, LSU (44 games)1975-78

7.3,928Emmitt Smith, Florida (31 games)1987-89

8.3,835Sonny Collins, Kentucky (41 games)1972-75

9.3,831Carnell Williams, Auburn (42 games)2001-04

10.3,565Shaun Alexander, Alabama (42 games)1996-99

11.3,523James Brooks, Auburn (38 games)1977-80

12.3,420Bobby Humphrey, Alabama (35 games)1985-88

13.3,368Joe Cribbs, Auburn (38 games)1976-79

14.3,333Moe Williams, Kentucky (33 games)1993-95

15.3,279Darren McFadden (28 games)2005-present

Season

Player, School (# rushes)YearYards

1.Herschel Walker, Georgia (385 rushes)19811,891

2.Bo Jackson, Auburn (278 rushes)19851,786

3.Herschel Walker, Georgia (335 rushes)19821,752

4.Charles Alexander, LSU (311rushes)19771,686

5.Darren McFadden, Arkansas (265 rushes)20061,647

6.Herschel Walker, Georgia (274 rushes)19801,616

7.Moe Williams, Kentucky (294 rushes)19951,600

8.Emmitt Smith, Florida (284 rushes)19891,599

9.Rudi Johnson, Auburn (324 rushes)20001,567

10. Garrison Hearst, Georgia (228 rushes)19921,547

FELIX THE CAT: Felix Jones had five 100-yard rushing games last season and has two 100-yard games early this season with 129 vs. Troy and 133 vs. Kentucky. His nine 100-yard career rushing games is tied for seventh in school history. Last season he rushed for 106 yards vs. Southeast Missouri State, 104 yards at then-No. 2 Auburn, a then-career-high 141 yards vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 137 yards vs. LSU and a career-high 150 yards vs. Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl. Jones finished second in the SEC and 34th nationally in rushing with 83.43 yards per game. He had a career-best 1,168 yards rushing that ranks seventh in school history on just 150 carries. Jones’ 7.58 yards per carry average led the SEC and ranked second in the country. Jones is one of just six players in the country to average better than 7.00 yards per carry.

Jones is off to an even better pace this year with a 119.3 yards per game average and an impressive 8.95 yards per carry that ranks third nationally. He ranks 17th nationally in rushing and is third in the SEC. Jones also returned his third and fourth kickoff returns for touchdowns of his career with a 90-yard dash vs. Troy and an 82-yarder against Kentucky. He is second nationally in kickoff returns with a 38.50 ypr average and second in all-purpose yards with a 226.67 average.

PROTECTING THE QB: The Arkansas offensive line has not only produced some of the best rushing numbers in college football over the past two seasons, but has also been outstanding at protecting the quarterback. The Hogs’ front line has allowed just 11 sacks over the last 17 games, dating back to the start of the 2006 season for an average of 0.647 per game. Rutgers is the only team to better that number with just eight sacks in the last 17 games for a 0.470 per game average. Arkansas is currently eighth nationally in sacks allowed with a .67 per game average.

FANTASTIC FRESHMAN: PK Alex Tejada made quite an impression during his first tree games in cardinal and white. The Springdale, Ark., native is a perfect 7 for 7 on field goals attempts and is 12 of 13 on extra point attempts to account for 33 points. He currently ranks fifth in the country in field goals per game (2.33) and ranks tied for 14th nationally in scoring (11.0). In the Troy game, he became the first Razorback since Chris Balseiro to make four field goals in a game (vs. Missouri, 2003 Independence Bowl, Dec. 31, 2003). Tejada is 4 for 4 from 20-29 yards, 2 for 2 from 30-39 yards and 1 for 1 from 40 and beyond.

PROTECT THIS HOUSE: Home field advantage has been good to the Razorbacks, especially during the Houston Nutt Era. Arkansas is tied with Georgia for the third-most SEC home wins since 1998 with 48. The Hogs are 48-16 (.750) in games played at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Arkansas is 20-2 in Little Rock and 28-14 in Fayetteville in that 10-year span under Coach Nutt. (See chart below)

STILL ATOP THE BOWL LIST: Arkansas is atop the bowl appearance list for SEC Western Division teams since 1998. The Razorbacks have made seven bowl appearances since Houston Nutt took over the reins in Fayetteville, including the 2007 Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Arkansas has made two appearances in the Cotton Bowl (2000 and 2002) and the Citrus/Capital One Bowl (1999 and 2007) and one in the Las Vegas Bowl (2000), the Music City Bowl (2002) and the Independence Bowl (2003).

Although Arkansas has a rich bowl tradition, in the eight seasons prior to Nutt’s arrival the Razorbacks had earned only two bowl berths.

DENTING THE SCOREBOARD: Arkansas has now scored in 138 consecutive games, a school record for scoring in the most consecutive games in team history. Arkansas has not been shut out since a 28-0 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge, La., on Nov. 18, 1995.

UA ranks fourth among league schools in the longest active scoring streak. Florida ranks first in the SEC earning points in 230 consecutive contests.

RACKING UP 20: The Razorbacks have made a routine of racking up 20 points since Houston Nutt arrived in Fayetteville. Arkansas has scored 20 points or more in 85 of Nutt’s 114 games (.746) as head coach. Arkansas is 63-22 (.741) when scoring 20 points or more including a 37-13 mark (.740) in the last seven seasons.